2_Kansas City Chiefs2

Baltimore Ravens Gameday HQ

De’Anthony Thomas
SCOREBOARD
PETER AIKEN/GETTY IMAGES SPORT
2013 2012 2011 2010 2009
PLAYOFF FINISH WC - - WC -
REGULAR SEASON W-L 11-5 2-14 7-9 10-6 4-12
POINTS PER GAME 26.9 13.2 13.2 22.9 18.4
POINTS ALLOWED PER GAME 19.1 26.6 21.1 20.4 26.5
YARDS PER GAME 337.3 319.3 310.8 350.0 303.2
YARDS ALLOWED PER GAME 367.8 356.5 333.3 330.2 388.2
TURNOVERS 18 37 28 14 27
TAKEAWAYS 36 13 26 23 28
Poe and his fellow front seven linemen and linebackers. In this
aggressive climate—as opposed to the previous leadership’s
mandate of “read and react” to the offense—the Chiefs D rose to
a ninth-best defensive ranking, according to Football Outsiders
(seventh against the pass and 15th against the run), while nose
tackle Poe, linebackers Justin Houston, Derrick Johnson, Tamba
Hali and safety Eric Berry all had career-best season, playing at
an elite level as individuals, as a team and later, at the Pro Bowl,
as recognized stars.
Few will forget Kansas City’s 9-0 start to the 2013 season,
that was made possible by the 111 points allowed in those nine
contests (by contrast, the Chiefs scored 215 points in those nine
games). Kansas City’s 2-4 regular season finish—where the
Chiefs D gave up 194 points—and first-round 45-44 playoff loss
to Indianapolis obviously showed KC did not finish strong in
2013 and has much to improve on in 2014. That said, significant
ground was covered by a D that may have become too pleased
with itself. The Chiefs D doubled the number of takeaways (36)
from their offense’s turnovers (18). Put many of its longtime
veterans—and high draft picks over the years—in their best
positions to succeed. Think it’s safe to say that in 2014, Kansas
City once again will have the AFC West’s most dominant D
versus the run, against the pass and in straight-up stripping the
ball away for multiple touchdown returns. After all, the KC D
had seven touchdown returns in 2013, along with 47 sacks and
21 interceptions. Who says the Chiefs can’t do it again?
Defensive Player to Watch
The 6-3, 346-pound Poe emerged as an elite player in 2013
in revamped Chiefs’ 3-4 attack defense that saw Poe lay out foe,
time and time again, at an unbelievable rate. It’s not often you
see a big nose tackle possess the stamina to dominate play after
play the way Poe did in Kansas City’s 9-0 start of the 2013, but
that’s what the NFL got from the interior defensive lineman
who played 90 percent of the snaps in 2013 (not even including
his special teams snaps). The 24 year old was recognized for
his second-year play with a selection to the 2013 Pro Bowl, his
first such honor.
Key Additions:
T Jeffrey Linkenbach, DT Vance Walker, T J’Marcus Webb
Key Subtractions:
T Brandon Albert, LB Akeem Jordan, FS Kendrick Lewis, RB Dexter
McCluster, G Geoff Schwartz
Rookies:
LB Dee Ford, CB Phillip Gaines, RB De’Anthony Thomas, T Laurent
Duvernay-Tardif
Chiefs Special Teams
Nobody is more special at special teams than the Kansas City
Chiefs, who reminded fans of that very fact in preseason game
No. 1 of the 2014 season when rookie returner De’Anthony
Thomas made his NFL debut with an 80-yard punt return for
a touchdown. He later followed that up with a 35-yard kickoff
return, not too long after Kansas City teammate Albert Wilson
took a kickoff back 68 yards. Such is life in K.C. special teams,
where parts are as interchangeable and successful as the
previous year. Remember, it was in 2013 when Football Outsiders
analytics rated the Chiefs as the No. 1 special teams, with the
No. 1 punt return squad (led by departed Dexter McCluster, now
with the Titans), No. 2 kick return team (led by departed Quentin
Demps, now with the Giants) and above-average kick and punt
coverage units. Only Chiefs kicker Ryan Succop graded out as a
subpar Chief (15-for-16 on 39-and-under field goals; 6-for-8 on
40-49; 1-for-4 on 50-plus).
Prediction
Nobody in the NFL can keep up with the Denver and San
Diego high-powered offenses that ranked 1-2 in the league last
season and will probably go 1-2 again in 2014. That said, the
improving Chiefs D is one of the few in football—and the only
one in its division—that may slow them both down in 2014. It
didn’t happen in 2013, when KC lost to the Broncos and Chargers
in all four games by a combined 130-107 (Chiefs were 11-1 versus
rest of the league).